ISB ~ Ephesians 5 v29

nourishes:The concern of a husband to meet his physical needs should likewise bring him to cherish his wife.

• The close connection drawn between a man’s flesh and a man’s wife stems from Genesis, where the Lord used Adam’s own flesh and bone to form his bride, Eve (Gen 2:21-23).

• Paul’s allusion to Adam and Eve implies a greater truth about Christ. He, too, fashions his bride, the Church, by giving her the sacramental substance of his own flesh and blood in the Eucharist. This is what makes the Church his own flesh (CCC 757, 1003). See note on Jn 19:34.